Vomiting small amounts of blood: what to know

Repeated retching can scratch or tear small vessels in the throat or food pipe. Blood may also come from the stomach or upper intestine, where inflammation, an ulcer, or another source of bleeding needs assessment. Swallowed blood from a nosebleed or mouth injury can appear in vomit. Food poisoning and gastroenteritis can cause forceful vomiting, while gallstones, migraine, and pancreatitis may cause vomiting with other symptoms. The appearance, amount, and timing help a clinician judge the next step; bright red blood is different from dark material that resembles coffee grounds.

Stop eating solid food until you have advice, but do not deliberately make yourself vomit. If you are fully alert and not actively retching, take small sips of water. Keep a sample or photograph if possible, note medicines such as aspirin or anticoagulants, and arrange same-day medical advice. Avoid alcohol and anti-inflammatory painkillers unless a clinician has told you to take them.

Call emergency services for more than a small streak, repeated blood, coffee-ground material, black stools, fainting, severe weakness, confusion, fast breathing, or severe chest or abdominal pain. Get urgent help if you cannot keep fluids down or take blood-thinning medicine. Do not drive yourself if you feel faint or unwell.

Ask where the blood may have come from, whether you need blood tests or an examination, and which medicines or foods to avoid. Tell the clinician when vomiting began, how often it happened, what the blood looked like, and whether you have pain, dark stools, dizziness, or a recent nosebleed.